Visiting Athens at the beginning of our trip and reaching Rome as we wrapped things up, our trip was bookended by two of the most influential European cities that helped shape modern civilization.
Originally, I booked a large three-bedroom apartment in the center of Rome. The place had an address on Via dei Coronari, an artery that quite literally passes through the heart of the city.
Having just spent a week in Sicily, we had been on a steady diet of pizza and pasta, and our boys were thrilled to continue the tradition. When in Rome, eat as the Romans do.
The Vatican Museums are so nice, we explored them twice! There are something like nine miles of corridors lined with priceless frescos, sculptures, and artifacts from a wide variety of cultures and time periods.